Job Openings at SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

The position will be based in Nairobi with need-based travel to the field including visits to marginalised locations and humanitarian settings. More specifically, the MEL officer will:

• Take lead on MEL for the project including support to the partners and project team to enhance progress monitoring, evaluation, and reporting including data collection, analysis, and contribution to project reports and publications.
• Ensure documentation of project outcomes including development of knowledge products and advance learning through knowledge dissemination and channels and shared learning/knowledge exchange platforms.
• Take lead on the project’s data quality and data management, ensuring quality implementation of the project’s ME&L framework, and ensuring alignment with requirements by both SNV and the project donors.
• Provide support to the project staff, project partners, and data collection teams to enhance implementation of MEL related activities and achievement of the deliverables.
• Coordinate submission of data and progress reports from project partners, conduct data verification and validation exercises, and conduct need based physical monitoring visits to assess the quality of project and MEL implementation and the reported milestones/results.
• Contribute to the overall planning and implementation of the learning and knowledge dissemination agenda through collection of evidence, development of knowledge products, and knowledge dissemination forums/platforms/channels.
• Participate in SNV’s project management and MEL team meetings, staff meetings, and other relevant staff related activities and events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• Relevant certifications in monitoring and evaluation required.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in MEL related roles and expertise on the full MEL Management Cycle and practices including excellent knowledge of MEL frameworks, tools, and evidence generation approaches commonly used in the field including the ability to collect/gather data/information to assess program results and effectiveness
• Experience working with donor funded development projects/programmes. A track record in interventions to development the energy sector in Kenya including off-grid solar systems and clean cooking solutions might be beneficial and an added advantage.
• Excellent technical skills to analyze and interpret data/evidence, report-writing skills, and proficiency in data management systems and MELs tools and software.
• A demonstrated high-level of professionalism and ability to work independently, as part of a team, and in compliance with guidelines and deadlines.
• Familiarity with project management principles and the ability to work within project timelines.
• Excellent spoken and written English, and strong interpersonal and communication skills including ability to effectively convey findings and recommendations to various stakeholders
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Flexibility and adaptability to work in dynamic environments and adjust to changing priorities.

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More specifically, the GESI Advisor will:

• Take lead in GESI mainstreaming including GESI strategy and action plan and ensure that all project partners and project teams are aligned to GESI guidelines and commitments. 
• Ensure that marginalised groups, including women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), have equitable access to resources, economic opportunities, and decision-making spaces.
• Ensure that design of the standardized data collection, tracking and reporting framework for clean cooking at the county level are GEDSI inclusive.
• Ensure comprehensive GEDSI considerations and analysis in clean cooking baseline studies at project inception.
• Ensure that the county clean cooking transition policies and implementation guidelines developed with support from the project are GEDSI responsive.
• Ensure GEDSI considerations and inclusion in the county clean cooking training and capacity building of county officers, artisans, and CBOs. This includes GESDI responsive curriculum, materials, and program.
• Ensure targeted outreach to marginalized and disadvantaged groups, and advance GESI responsive training to cater for the specific needs of women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups on access to finance and inclusive job opportunities.
• Collaborate with women-led, youth-focused, and disability-inclusion organizations and platforms at the county level to amplify marginalised voices and catalyse inclusive change in the clean cooking sector.
• Support GESI progress monitoring and reporting including GESI data collection, analysis, and evaluation including GESI audits.
• Support documentation of GESI outcomes including development of GESI Knowledge products and advance learning through knowledge dissemination and channels and shared learning/knowledge exchange platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in roles related to this position and work with donor funded development projects/programmes.
• Experience in GESI mainstreaming in energy access projects/programmes.
• Track record in interventions to development the energy sector in Kenya. Building capacity for the clean cooking value chains will be an added advantage.
• Good knowledge of the national and sub-national energy priorities, plans, and strategies. Work in policy or enabling a business environment including work at the county level will be an added advantage
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills.
• A demonstrated high-level of professionalism and ability to work independently, as part of a team, and in compliance with guidelines and deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills. 
• Excellent spoken and written English.

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The Social Safeguards Specialist will report to the Project Co-ordinator-SNV/ and will have the following major duties and responsibilities: -

• Familiarization with each of the World Bank’s Social Safeguards policies that have been triggered for the project. These include OP 4.01 and OP 4.10, as well as the VMGF and ESMF that have been prepared to guide the implementation of the requirements of OP 4.01 and OP 4.10 respectively. 
• Overseeing stakeholder engagement (based on the SEP) to build awareness of all stakeholders, on the social safeguards requirements and social risks that may arise from the implementation of Component 2 of KOSAP, The stakeholders include underserved counties community members, vendors/suppliers of clean energy products and service providers.
• Ensure under Component 2 participation and involvement of the Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups and Indigenous Peoples in the project area, especially in accessing benefits and opportunities arising from KOSAP component implementation activities.
• Identify and prepare a comprehensive plan that will avert any potentially adverse effects from project interventions on Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups
• Ensure that the project benefits reach the Vulnerable and marginalized groups and peoples in an equitable manner and through institutions that respect and are able to serve them in a decentralized manner.
• Spearhead the preparation of social risk management plans to mitigate social risks and impacts related to the project. These include the preparation of Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Gender Action Plan and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) in accordance with the VMGF and ESMF respectively.
• Supervision and monitoring of the implementation of social safeguards frameworks and instruments in accordance with the respective Bank’s guidelines and policies, while paying special attention to ensure the active participation in project activities of VMGs who are in the minority in the counties in which they live. (The counties with minority VMG communities include Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Taita Taveta, West Pokot and Tana River) 
• Supporting Solar Service Providers (SSPs) and Clean Cooking Solutions companies in the review of their documentation pertaining to Social safeguards compliance, procedures & policies.
• Training and capacity building of SSPs and CCSs on social safeguards; risks management, mitigation measures, monitoring & reporting.
• Track the project’ compliance with proposed mitigation measures with regard to socio– cultural and environmental aspects-to determine the impact of the KOSAP Project on the wellbeing of the VMGs in all the 14 counties, and with special attention to minority VMGs in the six counties afore mentioned.
• Ensure the free, prior and informed consultations with VMGs to enable their involvement and participation
• Contribute to project’s Component 2 progress reports pertaining to overall implementation of  Social safeguards requirements of the project
• Preparing training materials and conducting technical training workshops to SSPs and CCSs companies and Microfinance organization on  Social Safeguards requirements
• Prepare social safeguards information materials and disseminating the information to the relevant stakeholders; and organize environmental and social orientation & awareness, consultations, and training programs
• Review bid documents to ensure social risk management factors and mitigations are incorporated, and they are in harmony with social safeguards  requirements;
• Preparation of Social monitoring and evaluation reports and, perform tasks and responsibilities related to the social issues including SEA and SH by solar companies staff, GBV, HIV/AIDS program, issues related to labour influx (people coming into the project area for project related work) and child labour
• Develop and appraise the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) measures of the Project interventions. Advice on how the KFM RBF recipients can be more gender sensitive to meet the priorities of both men and women beneficiaries in KOSAP project area and activites
• Undertake site visits during project execution and operation to assess how social screening and mitigation measures are succeeding or have succeeded in minimizing impacts
• Ensuring that all the decisions made on Component 2 of the project are gender informed and socially sustainable
• Assess any significant social risks and impacts and if required draw on KOSAP safeguards framework and instruments to provide mitigation measures including corrective action plans.
• Facilitate communication among various project stakeholders to promote socially and environmentally and socially sound project implementation with sustainable development outcomes-
• Liaise on a regular basis with the Ministry of Energy, Local CBO’s ,NGO’s  and other implementing Agencies
• Produce and document social safeguards implementation reports; and Undertake other duties as per the requirements of the project or as directed by Project Coordinator.

Deliverables/Consultant’s Reporting Obligations

The Officer will be required to submit reports as follows:

• ­One copy of quarterly progress on activities undertaken and solutions to challenges
• One copy of annual progress report; and
• One copy of project completion report after the completion of the task period

Qualifications

• The candidate should have, as a minimum, a postgraduate degree from any recognized institution in the area of Social Sciences: Sociology, Community development, Rural Development, Social Inclusion, Gender Studies or any related discipline with combination of appropriate trainings;
• A minimum of ten years of relevant work experience in social development
• At least 5 years’ working knowledge in the World Bank’s Social and Environmental safeguards policies and IFC Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines
• Experience with Community development, gender mainstreaming issues, social inclusion of VMG’s and participatory  approaches, and in particular, experience in World Bank’s social safeguard policies, direct experience in working on implementation of Social Assessment, RAP, VMGF, ESMF and ESMP , and other environmental and social safeguard issues preferably in Conservation organization or large industries in any private or public sector are an added advantages
• Good communication skills both verbal and written

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Scope of the Assignment

The Environmental Specialist will report to the Project Co-ordinator-SNV/Sun funder and will have the following major duties and responsibilities: -

• Familiarization with each of the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Safeguards policies that have been triggered for the project
• Develop a comprehensive Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP for E-waste/WEEE-Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment and ensure compliance of the same by the Solar Home Systems providers
• Appraise the entire management processes including de-manufacturing, collection, storage, recycling, transport and disposal) in accordance with the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (E-waste Management Regulations 2013) and World Bank Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines
• Develop a project-specific environmental code of practice (ECOP) as a guidance on approach for the collection, transport, storage and disposal/reuse of spent batteries, Solar panels and waste generated from Cook stoves with the aim of ensuring that risks to the environment and human health are prevented or mitigated
• Develop an elaborate and specific plan on recycling and disposal of spent batteries, solar panels and cook stoves for the solar home systems providers at the end of their useful lives.
• Develop a Stakeholder Engagement strategy that will seek to inform discussion and build awareness of all stakeholders, including rural remote community members, vendors/suppliers of products and service providers, around safe management, handling and disposal of E-waste/WEEE including used batteries.
• Supervision and monitoring of the implementation of environmental and social instrument-ESMP-WEEE in accordance with the respective Bank’s guidelines and policies
• Supporting Solar companies in the review of documentation pertaining to environmental and Social compliance
• Supervision and overseeing the implementation of the EPOC and World Bank’s safeguard procedures triggered for KOSAP in the operations of the solar home systems and cook stoves providers
• Contribute to project’s Component 2 progress reports pertaining to overall implementation of Environmental and Social requirements of the project
• Preparing training materials and conducting technical training workshops to Solar Companies and Microfinance organization on environmental and Social Safeguards requirements
• Prepare environmental information materials and disseminating the information to the relevant stakeholders; and organize environmental and social orientation & awareness, consultations, and training programs;
• Generate a screening checklist, guided by the ESMF against which solar home systems providers and cook stoves companies will be gauged as a precondition for accessing debt facility and Result Based financing to assess their preparedness on safeguard issues
• Review bid documents to ensure environmental and social factors and mitigations are incorporated, and they are in harmony with environmental and social requirements;
• Support the formation of the grievance/complaints redress mechanism and committees and communication of the grievance mechanism to all the stakeholders and other relevant procedures
• Working with the social specialist, appraise the social aspects of the Project interventions. Advice on how the programme activities can be more gender sensitive to meet the priories of both men and women beneficiaries in K-OSAP project area
• Ensure that each activity under the project-component 2 is subjected to the Project ESMF process and procedures, and carry out environmental screening of activities, and prepare specific Environmental and Social Management Plans (EMPs)
• Undertake routine site visits during project execution and operation to assess how environmental and social screening and mitigation measures are succeeding or have succeeded in minimizing impacts
• Preparation of environment and Social monitoring and evaluation reports and, perform tasks and responsibilities related to the social issues including sexual Exploitation and Abuse by solar companies staff, Gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS program, issues related to labour influx and child labour (people coming into the project area for project related work
• Facilitate communication among various project stakeholders to promote socially and environmentally sound project implementation with sustainable development outcomes
• Liaise on a regular basis with the Ministry of Energy and other implementing Agencies
• Produce and document environmental and social safeguards implementation reports; and Undertake other duties as per the requirements of the project or as directed by Project Coordinator.

Deliverables/ Reporting Obligations

• The Officer will be required to submit reports as follows:
• One copy of quarterly progress on activities undertaken and solutions to challenges
• One copy of annual progress report; and
• One copy of project completion report after the completion of the task period

Qualifications

• The candidate should have, as a minimum, a postgraduate degree from any recognized institution in the area of Environmental science, Environmental Engineering, Natural Resource Management or any related discipline with combination of appropriate trainings;
• Registered with NEMA as a Lead expert
• A minimum of ten years of relevant work experience in environmental and social issues, experience in development project is an added advantage. Direct experience in working on implementation of ESIA and ESMF, environmental and social safeguard issues preferably in Conservation organization or large industries in any private or public sector
• At least 8 years experience working on projects financed by the World Bank with a good knowledge and understanding of the World Bank’s Operational Policies and Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines
• Experience with Community development, gender mainstreaming issues, VMG’s and participatory  approaches are an added advantage
• Good communication skills both verbal and written
• Fluency in English is essential and fluency in Kiswahili is an added advantage